If you ask old school scouts what is required to field a championship contender, they will quickly tell you that it takes eight to twelve blue-chip players to compete for a title. This premise has been the standard for general managers around the league and I rely on it to help me identify the players to watch on game day.
With that in mind, I thought I would take a little time to identify the players to watch on the Cowboys' next opponent. Here are the current Saints blue-chips players:
Here are the top players for the Saints that the Cowboys will have to worry about on Thursday.
Cam Jordan, EDGE
The perennial Pro Bowler still has the juice as a disruptive pass rusher off the edge. Despite his pedestrian numbers (four sacks in ten games), Jordan continues to give opponents problems with his energetic approach and dynamic rush skills. He is a non-stop worker with a relentless spirit that wears most opponents down. If the Cowboys' edge blockers are not prepared for a 60-minute battle with a pass-rushing maniac, it could be a long day for Dak Prescott in the pocket.
Demario Davis, LB
The feisty traffic cop in the middle of the Saints' defense is a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with outstanding instincts. Davis flies to the football with reckless abandon and his ability to diagnose plays in an instant makes it hard to fool the Saints' defense with deception and misdirection. With the veteran also showing sneaky pass rush skills on blitzes, the game plan must feature a few tactics to slow down the Saints' top second-level defender.
Marshon Lattimore, CB:
The all-star cover corner is still one of the best in the business despite a quiet year on the island. Lattimore is an aggressive bump-and-run corner with the size, length, and skill to challenge elite receivers with his tenacious style. If Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb are not ready to scrap on the perimeter, the Saints' CB1 will make one of them a non-factor with his aggressive bump-and-run tactics.
Alvin Kamara, RB:
The Pro Bowl running back is the straw that stirs the drink for the Saints. Kamara is a "do-it-all"l playmaker capable of putting up 100-yard games as a runner or receiver. Sean Payton will move No.41 around the formation to take advantage of his unique skills while also exploiting vulnerable matchups in space. If Kamara gets it going early, it could be a long day for the Cowboys attempting to defend a "one-man show" for the Saints.
Taysom Hill, QB/Athlete:
All signs are pointing to the Swiss Army knife logging a start at quarterback. The 6-foot-2, 221-pounder adds a different dimension to the position as an explosive runner with playmaking skills inside and outside of the pocket. With Saints morphing into a modified Single Wing offense with No.7 in the game, the Cowboys must pay attention to his whereabouts while also expecting some tricks and gadgets from an offense that is desperate to create big plays in the passing game.
